


For Now

by StAnni



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 04:17:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16548734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StAnni/pseuds/StAnni
Summary: He grabs her arm, firmly, and as she tries to pull away and he rips the fabric easily, pulling it aside, exposing her shoulder to elbow.She doesn’t have to look, she can feel the night air on the fresh deep cut running down to her forearm.  It is a knife wound – deep and clear.   She can’t explain it away.He stares at the cut coldly, not letting go of her arm.His voice is low, angry and sarcastic, and he doesn’t look at her “And this?  Tree branch?”





	1. Chapter 1

She only gets to Wayne Manor well past four AM, so she is not expecting a happy welcome.

And when he sees her grimace, just ever so slightly, as she takes off her jacket, he stops her. Hand on her shoulder, stilling her.

“What happened?”

She tries to make light of it and gives him a look, a shrug.

“Nothing.”

He doesn’t let go though and she shakes her shoulder.

His eyes are unreadable – even “So show me.”  
“There is nothing to show…”

He grabs her arm, firmly, and as she tries to pull away and he rips the fabric easily, pulling it aside, exposing her shoulder to elbow.  
She doesn’t have to look, she can feel the night air on the fresh cut running down to her forearm. It is a knife wound – deep and clear. She can’t explain it away.

He stares at the cut coldly, not letting go of her arm.  
His voice is low, angry and sarcastic, and he doesn’t look at her “And this? Tree branch?”

She doesn’t say anything, what would be the point. His disappointment is a wall she will beat herself to pieces against forever. 

He drops her arm and walks away, loosening his tie in frustration and slamming the door to his study as he disappears inside.  
It is going to be one of those nights.

After an hour, usually an hour gives him enough time to simmer the hell down, she knocks at the study door. “Bruce.”  
He doesn’t answer and she pushes the door open.  
He is immersed in four books spread in front of him, his brow furrowed darkly and his jaw set. Still pissed.

“Can we talk?”

He doesn’t look at her. “Perhaps you should go home, Selina.”

It doesn’t hurt, not that bad. She is used to his moods. She is used to the push and pull of being with him.

“Okay” She counters, trying to be reasonable “But can we talk first?”

He still doesn’t look at her, there is a familiar lilt to his voice – the petulance of his youth. “I don’t think so.”  
It used to drive her mad when they were younger, now she takes the bad with the good. She stifles an eye roll.

“Let me just get this straight. You can run around at night tossing criminals around, but I who have been doing this much longer than you have, mind you, can’t.”

She wants to get a rise out of him, she wants him to engage. She knows that his actual problem with her nightly excursions is not the fact that she has them, it is the murkiness of the motivations behind them – which is the polar opposite of his own motivation.

He finally looks up, giving her a dark look – severe and judgmental, that’s her Bruce, and she leans against the doorframe and waits.

“What if I run into you out there? Do you ever think about that?”

She has, but she doesn’t dwell on it because she doesn’t have to. She is careful not to contract herself out too close to Bruce’s main points of concern – being the higher-ups of the lowest scum of Gotham.  
But she is aware that it might become a possibility at some point. 

“You won’t.”  
“You don’t know that.”

She doesn’t answer because he is already in a mood and that inevitably means that at some point, one of them, will lose their temper and it will turn into a fight that she does not have the energy to deal with tonight.

But he presses for it. He gets up and walks over to her, stopping a foot away, looking down at her – she can smell his cologne, light, and the citrus scent of his shampoo. He visibly softens in her proximity – her favourite superpower.

“If we ever cross paths, Selina, what happens here?”

Bruce, as frustratingly obtuse as he may be at times, is all about facing the hard truths – no guess work, he needs to know. It is endearing at times, but mostly it is annoying.

It is annoying because he knows the answer – but he wants her to say it.

“I guess we have to relook at things.”

She also knows how to annoy him.  
He shakes his head, giving in.

Calmer, now he glances at her torn shirt – the cut visible. “Does it hurt?”  
She shrugs. It hurts like hell but she’ll be damned to let him know.

He indicates to the door of the study with his head, keeping his eyes on hers. “Want to go to the hospital?” As if. She smirks and he smiles. But it is nice of him to offer.

“I’ve survived worse.”

He sighs and takes a step back from her – detangling himself, knowing himself weaker the closer he is to her. “I still don’t like this, Selina. I won’t ever like it.”

She leans her head back. Bruce, the ego.

“It’s not all about you, Bruce. Whether you like it or not.”

This time she closes the distance between them and before he can step away she has her arm snaked around his back, her chin on his chest.

“Are we done fighting now?”

His eyes are lighter, and he smirks.

“This wasn’t a fight, Selina.”

“Do you still want me to go home tonight?” She pushes. The brat needs to take it back. And he knows. He answers quietly.

“No.”

She pushes him away lightly, but so much so that he takes a few steps back. “You’re a dick sometimes, Bruce.”

He doesn’t answer but he watches her as she flops back on the couch in the study, her feet, boots and all, kicking up on the expensive fabric. He considers her and she winks at him. “You know this is going to end badly.”

It’s said in jest but the truth is there – a bomb ticking away beneath the surface. Her heart sinks for a moment and then she shakes it off. It is just another thing they have to live with.

“Just come here, will ya.”

And he does, moving over her, gathering her against him and kissing her softly and then hungrily as the morning sun rises outside.


	2. Colder

The briefing is over and Bruce leaves without a word, as is his habit, however irritating.

Gordon almost doesn’t even notice Selina is left behind until he feels her eyes on his back. It is a disquieting feeling – and he glances at her.

She is pissed, he can see it. He is sure Bruce saw it as well, but clearly couldn’t give a crap – which is a new irritating habit Bruce is starting to cultivate.

“What?” he gruffs, stuffing his keys into his pocket.

She gives a half a shrug, her eyes hooded, untrusting as ever “You tell me, he’s your bff.”

Gordon suppresses the urge to just outright roll his eyes at her. 

He opts for a quick out, already trying to move past her “I don’t know. Just ignore him. I find it easier to just ignore him when he gets like that.”

“Like that?”

Rookie mistake. And coupled with the annoying fact that she is nothing if not relentless - it is a pain in his ass.  
He certainly does not have the energy to deal with the severe magnitude of emotional checks and balances that goes into the precarious relationship that is Selina and Bruce. 

“Okay, don’t ignore him, talk to him.”

Her expression remains unchanged, he hasn’t answered her question.  
To her credit, she tries to explain herself, which is more than he expects from someone her age. “You see it too, though. The way he gets. The way he…”

Gordon knows what she means, and it is painful to watch her admit it.

“He pushes me away.”

Gordon sighs. “He’s a complicated guy, Selina. I mean…you of all people knew that from the get go.”

It’s not an answer and it’s not good enough. Her jaw sets and her eyes shimmer as they harden. “So he can just do whatever he wants?” 

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that yes, Bruce Wayne pretty much can do whatever he wants. A perk of being a billionaire. Whether or not people will still stick around after, that remains to be seen.

“Selina. You’re a grown woman. Yeah, I see it. He seems to be a dick to you these days. But if you don’t want to take his bullshit, don’t take his bullshit. What do you want to force him to hang around?”

It lands hard. She looks away and Gordon feels just a twinge of remorse for being so blunt. He prays to every God that will listen that if he ever has a daughter, she doesn’t come to him for advice regarding her love-life.

“Yeah, okay.” Is what he gets from her, her curls falling to cover her face momentarily as she looks down, picking at her glove. She knows she pushing it, making him talk about Bruce – he can see it. He can see how embarrassed she is, asking about it.

So he sighs. “You want me to talk to him?”

The look she gives him in answer is withering, could kill instantly. “Are you serious? No.”

He can’t help but smile at her over-wrought reaction to his faux pas. “Sorry.”

“I’ll just figure it out myself.”

Which is fair – and a relief.

Before she turns to leave, he catches her wrist – feeling bad for the kid.

“Look, Selina – maybe just give him some space right now. Let things cool for a bit.” 

She huffs at his advice, but she doesn’t scoff at it outright “Like it could get any colder.” 

With that she heads for the door.

Well, he tried.


End file.
